WHAT IS INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS
Interoceptivity, or interoceptive awareness is the ability to become aware of and evaluate internal body signals. We all have this ability. For example, we know when our bladder is full, when we are cold or hot, and when we are angry or anxious.
It’s the CORNERSTONE of self-care, because it’s the way that we become aware of what we truly need.
I like to think of our busy minds as the thinking part and our hearts as the inner knowing part. Interoceptivity is the bridge between the two.
We all have this ability. We know when our bladders are full, for example, and usually how long we have to take care of it, or when we are tired and need sleep, or when we are cold and need a sweater…that’s all interoceptive awareness!
Research shows that interoceptivity not only enables us to respond to the needs of the body, but it also help us regulate emotions and communicate more effectively with others, so that we can ask for what we need. In addition, more accurate perception of body signals facilitates more adaptive responses to pain, positive eating habits (meaning the ability to respond to hunger and fullness without distress), improvements in social relationships, and better stress management.
Practices that increase interoceptivity include yoga, meditation, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and skills from cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as simple practices like heartbeat detection. The thing that underlies all these practices and methods is that they all cultivate pathways inward, rather than looking outward for rules and regulations.
A SIMPLE PRACTICE FOR CULTIVATING INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS
Set a timer for just 2-3 minutes, close your eyes, and try to feel your heart beating inside your body.
At first, you may feel nothing, but with just a few days of practice, you’ll start to hear/feel that steady, rhythmic thump thump thump.
The more you do that, the more your interoceptive awareness increases, and so does your ability to care for yourself in ways that support rather than punish, and we all deserve that.
I utilize the science and practice of Interoceptive Awareness in my work with clients because it puts you in the drivers seat.I firmly believe that you are the expert of your body, mind and emotions. Sometimes, that expertise can be dulled by outside influences, particularly those of Diet Culture. The practice of interoceptivity supports you in revitalizing and relearning the pathways into your deepest self, where all the answers reside; you learn to return to balance through self-efficacy and self-care. You begin tending to your mind and body in all ways, rather than enforcing strict rules and demanding self-control.
If you’re interested in chatting about working with me to learn how to reject diet culture and cultivate interoceptive awareness in order to tend to yourself in a way that promotes self-care over self control, make sure to join my email list to be the 1st to know when I open spaces.